Mercy Medical Center and the American Heart Association have teamed up to help students at Sioux City’s Irving Elementary School get active at recess and learn healthy lifestyle habits.
Jerry Hernandez, Community Outreach Coordinator for Mercy, says water bottles and jump ropes are being given to Irving students:
OC………more exercise. :19
Studies show about 2/3 of kids and half of adults still don’t get enough physical activity.
Hernandez says Iowa does not rank well nationally in that regard:
OC…exercise indoors. :11
Chris Schives, Regional Vice President of the American Heart Association, says research shows if a child is overweight by their 12th birthday, there is a 70 percent chance that the child will be overweight the rest of their life:
OC……….to adulthood. ;15
A hundred dollar gift certificate was also presented to the school to purchase additional equipment.
